Browsing by keyword "*Language"
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Cerebellum, language, and cognition in autism and specific language impairmentWe performed cerebellum segmentation and parcellation on magnetic resonance images from right-handed boys, aged 6-13 years, including 22 boys with autism [16 with language impairment (ALI)], 9 boys with Specific Language Impairment (SLI), and 11 normal controls. Language-impaired groups had reversed asymmetry relative to unimpaired groups in posterior-lateral cerebellar lobule VIIIA (right side larger in unimpaired groups, left side larger in ALI and SLI), contralateral to previous findings in inferior frontal cortex language areas. Lobule VIIA Crus I was smaller in SLI than in ALI. Vermis volume, particularly anterior I-V, was decreased in language-impaired groups. Language performance test scores correlated with lobule VIIIA asymmetry and with anterior vermis volume. These findings suggest ALI and SLI subjects show abnormalities in neurodevelopment of fronto-corticocerebellar circuits that manage motor control and the processing of language, cognition, working memory, and attention.
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Psychometric properties of the alcohol use disorders identification test: a Korean versionOBJECTIVE: The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) is an important screening tool but has never been administered to Korean Americans. This study was conducted to examine the psychometric properties of a Korean version of the AUDIT referred to as AUDIT-K and to determine which cutoff score of the scale would perform better in Korean Americans. METHOD: Translation and backtranslation of the AUDIT-K were conducted to obtain a measure consistent with the Korean cultural understanding of alcohol use. Following satisfactory interrater agreements on each item about its Korean translation, the AUDIT-K was administered to 118 Korean American men (Time 1) and to 93 of the men approximately 1 month later (Time 2). Data were analyzed for internal consistency reliability, test-retest reliability, and construct validity. RESULTS: Approximately 47.5% of Korean American men who participated in the study were identified as having drinking problems when using the World Health Organization's recommended cutoff score of 8, whereas approximately 20.3% were found to have problems with alcohol when using the cutoff score of 12, the one recommended for Koreans. Cronbach's alpha was .82 at Time 1 and was .80 at Time 2. Test-Retest reliability assessed via the intraclass correlation coefficient for the total AUDIT scale was .85. Principal components factor analysis with varimax orthogonal rotation revealed a two-factor solution, alcohol consumption and drinking problems, resulting in 57% of the explained variance. CONCLUSIONS: The AUDIT-K was found to be internally consistent and stable over time and should be used in primary health care settings to screen Korean American men for alcohol use disorders to facilitate early interventions.
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Relationship between self-assessed and tested non-English-language proficiency among primary care providersBACKGROUND: Individuals with limited English proficiency experience poor patient-clinician communication. Most studies of language concordance have not measured clinician non-English-language proficiency. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the accuracy of the self-assessment of non-English-language proficiency by clinicians compared with an oral proficiency interview. SUBJECTS: Primary care providers (PCPs) in California and Massachusetts. MEASURES: PCPs first completed a self-assessment of non-English-language proficiency using a version of the Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) Scale, followed by the Clinician Cultural and Linguistic Assessment (CCLA), a validated oral proficiency interview. We used nonparametric approaches to analyze CCLA scores at each ILR scale level and the correlation between CCLA and ILR scale scores. RESULTS: Sixteen PCPs in California and 51 in Massachusetts participated (n=67). Participants spoke Spanish (79%), followed by Cantonese, Mandarin, French, Portuguese, and Vietnamese. The respondents self-assessed as having "excellent" proficiency 9% of the time, "very good" proficiency 24% of the time, "good" proficiency 46% of the time, "fair" proficiency 18% of the time, and "poor" proficiency 3% of the time. The average CCLA score was 76/100. There was a positive correlation between self-reported ILR scale and CCLA score (sigma=0.49, P < 0.001). The variance in CCLA scores was wider in the middle categories than in the low or high ILR categories (P=0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Self-assessment of non-English-language proficiency using the ILR correlates to tested language proficiency, particularly on the low and high ends of the scale. Participants who self-assess in the middle of the scale may require additional testing. Further research needs to be conducted to identify the characteristics of PCP whose self-assessments are inaccurate and, thus, require proficiency testing.